Brussels, 05/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Meeting on the premises of the European Parliament in Brussels, the European Socialists made an appeal to the Convention on the future of Europe for it to draft a single, coherent text that lives up to the expectations of citizens. They consider that the text should: 1) enshrine the specific characteristics of the European social model, including a high level of social security and social rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the priority for preserving and creating employment, and the guarantees for equal treatment of men and women in all sectors; 2) give a central role to sustainable development policy, in the context of better coordination of environmental, social and economic policies; 3) provide the European Union with means to develop a common policy to promote peace, security and stability in Europe and in the world, with both military and non-military conflict prevention instruments.
In a speech delivered at the close of this conference on the future of Europe, the President of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Robin Cook, recalled that the Socialists were at the origin of the Lisbon process, which allowed a social dimension to be given to European integration by making full employment and gender equality an essential EU priority. He recognised the fact that the Socialists did lose ground in Europe during the last elections but felt that the next elections would allow the PES to show that it is "yet the most vibrant political force in the European Union and will stay the largest". After regretting the progress made by the extreme right in Austria and Denmark, it welcomed the ground gained by Socialists in certain candidate countries (he spoke of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary). He said: "We need to make progress in both Member States and candidate countries if we are to fulfil our key objectives of restoring the Socialist Group as the largest single group in the European Parliament". Mr Cook then felt that, at a time when the internationalisation of policies and economies requires More Europe, the citizens are calling for Less Europe. Justifying this phenomenon by the difficulties encountered by citizens in order to understand who does what in Europe and in order to feel involved, he affirmed that it is "vital that the Convention on the Future of Europe comes up with proposals that make the European Union more transparent, more democratic, and more in touch with the political sensitivities of Europe's citizens". Having cited, notably, the simplification of the treaties, the opening up of Councils on Ministers to the public, he noted that "such questions on the European Constitution are important", but that Social-Democrats and Socialists must first "be clearer on what they want to see Europe do". Mr. Cook mentioned international trade negotiations, combating organised crime and drugs-trafficking, sustainable development (he welcomed the agreement among the Fifteen over the Kyoto Protocol, deploring Denmark's attitude), the role of the EU in the world and the fight against poverty ("If we can ask the poorest nations to participate in the global coalition against terrorism, then they also have the right to ask us to participate in a global coalition against poverty", said Cook). He then concluded: "I want a united Europe for good in the world. A Europe that speaks to the world with the force of a clear voice, and not 15 rival voices. I want a Europe built on the priorities of the parties of the left: social justice and solidarity, democracy and freedom. I want a Europe that is popular because it offers the people of Europe quality jobs and a stable environment."